Conventional vehicle windows which may be fixed or openable generally consists of a window panel mounted to the vehicle to fit in and close an aperture or window opening in the vehicle body. The opening is defined by portions of the vehicle body which may be structural members or body portions connected therewith. The panel normally consists of a transparent or semi-transparent sheet of glass or plastic which is held in and mounted to the vehicle by way of a frame.
Window constructions of this type require the use of a large number of parts and the exact fitting of the panel to the outline of the opening. This increases manufacturing costs for windows having a curved or asymmetric shape. Furthermore, the use of a frame increases the weight of the window which is undesirable for situations where the window is intended to be swung out to function as an escape door and as such must be held open during an emergency. Moreover, the appearance of vehicles having a series of framed windows adjacent to one another is not particularly aesthetically appealing, since adjacent windows are respectively separated by an intermediate window post or jamb which is clearly visible and protrudes from the common plane of the windows.
Canadian Patent No. 1,057,796 by Niesser discloses a window sash construction for motor coaches wherein a glazing sheet is fitted into the window opening and is mounted to the vehicle wall by hinges and latches that are bolted to the glazing sheet and spaced inwardly from edges of the sheet. In other words, the hinges and latches are clearly visible from within the vehicle, interfere with visibility and reduce the field of view for each window. The seals for the window are mounted to the edges of the opening and also intrude into the window opening which further reduces the field of vision. Moreover, the window panel is reset in the vehicle wall which is not aesthetically appealing and increases problems with cleaning of the vehicle and wind noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,598 by Gold describes a window construction for a vehicle including a window pane which is fitted into the window opening and recessed from an outer surface of the vehicle body. The hinge and latch members are affixed to the window pane within the visual field. This construction does also not overcome the above-described drawbacks of reduced visual field, wind noise and cleaning problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,501 by Carlsson et al., teaches a frame molding for a vehicle window. The window includes inner and outer sheets which abut each other along their edges and are clamped together along an edge by the molding in a way allowing the window panels to change dimensions and slide relative to each other in the molding. The issue of fitting the window into the window opening and the sealing of the window to the vehicle are not addressed.